3 ms·

I believe the iPod HiFi was a success. The purpose of that product was to create a market for iPod docks. At the time there wash't much of one, and likely App

by MCRed 12y ago

I believe the iPod HiFi was a success. The purpose of that product was to create a market for iPod docks. At the time there wash't much of one, and likely Apple had trouble convincing companies like Sony et. al. that they should make them. I bet Apple has made more money from "Made for iPod" licensing as a result of the iPod HiFi (which kickstarted that industry) than their gross revenues from the iPod HiFi. So, maybe a failure as a product, because it stimulated competition that, if it hadn't come about would have left Apple with a %100 share of iPod docks. But given how many iPod docks have sold, I'm sure that market would have been viable, even if only Apple were making them.

threeseed 12y ago
Exactly. The iPod HiFi did its job perfectly. It was designed to stick a rocket up the likes of Bose, Pioneer etc to show that Apple could easily and successfully move into their markets.
- scep12 12y ago
  Except it was 2 years after Bose had introduced the SoundDock.
duskwuff 12y ago
There were already a lot of other iPod docks on the market when the iPod HiFi came out in 2006. Keep in mind that the dock connector was introduced with the 3rd-generation iPod in 2003 -- it's hardly as though third parties failed to notice the connector for those three years! The Bose SoundDock came out in late 2004, and it was hardly unique, either; this review compares it to several other similar products on the market at the time: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/bose-sounddock-ipod http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/bose-sounddoc...
scep12 12y ago
> At the time there wash't much of one, and likely Apple had trouble convincing companies like Sony et. al. that they should make them. What?? The Bose SoundDock was product of the year in 2004 -- 2 years before the iPod HiFi came out. Apple was behind the times and completely missed the mark with the HiFi.

by MCRed 12y ago

threeseed 12y ago

Exactly. The iPod HiFi did its job perfectly. It was designed to stick a rocket up the likes of Bose, Pioneer etc to show that Apple could easily and successfully move into their markets.

scep12 12y ago
Except it was 2 years after Bose had introduced the SoundDock.

duskwuff 12y ago

There were already a lot of other iPod docks on the market when the iPod HiFi came out in 2006. Keep in mind that the dock connector was introduced with the 3rd-generation iPod in 2003 -- it's hardly as though third parties failed to notice the connector for those three years! The Bose SoundDock came out in late 2004, and it was hardly unique, either; this review compares it to several other similar products on the market at the time: http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/bose-sounddock-ipod http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/reviews/entry/bose-sounddoc...

scep12 12y ago

> At the time there wash't much of one, and likely Apple had trouble convincing companies like Sony et. al. that they should make them. What?? The Bose SoundDock was product of the year in 2004 -- 2 years before the iPod HiFi came out. Apple was behind the times and completely missed the mark with the HiFi.